Food Choices - Popular Questions Answered

The team at Xtend-Life often get asked questions like which food groups are good for me and which vegetables are the best. We also get requests for advice regarding nutritional food plans and hundreds of other questions related to nutrition and food.

Today, we put together the most common questions and answers to share with you.

What foods should we eat on a daily basis?

A good rule of thumb is to have a varied diet that generally includes vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, lentils, fish, whole grains, and lean meats (or meat alternatives if vegetarian). However, for specific conditions, diseases, or sensitivities, individual alterations may need to be made to a dietary regime.

How much fluid intake should one have daily?

Generally speaking a minimum of two liters per day is advised and your body may need even more than that if it is hot or if you are doing a lot of exercise. However, it is very important to take what is comfortable for you without forcing down excessive amounts of fluid. This is a guideline only because age or medical conditions may alter what you need. Also, ensure that any daily fluid is taken in small amounts at a time, throughout the day, rather than large amounts crammed into a short time period. This allows the body to process all fluids, benefit from them and avoid the danger of swelling of tissues.

What common foods should we avoid?

I would stay away from fried, fatty, and processed foods as much as possible. Don’t overcook foods as this will strip them of their natural ingredients. Where it is possible and safe, try to eat foods raw. Where this isn’t possible, due to the food type, use mild cooking techniques such as steaming or grilling.

Do you know of unusual vegetables or fruits that have a whole heap of benefits?

All vegetables and fruits have some health benefits and many of them, for example berries and kiwifruit, offer really good health benefits thanks to their excellent anti-oxidant properties. But I wouldn’t advise to concentrate on just one or two items as this could lead to a diet that is deficient in some of the needed nutrients.

How should one eat vegetables - steamed, microwaved, baked, boiled, fresh or roasted?

Any of these are fine depending on the circumstances, individual needs and lifestyles, and of course the items in question. Eating vegetables in their natural raw form is generally highly recommended but if you prefer to cook your veggies, steaming is great because it keeps them close to their natural crunchiness. But any of these would work depending on individual factors and recipe needs.

How important is it to have a healthy diet with natural supplements?

Highly important. Supplements are exactly that, they “supplement” the diet by providing essential nutrients that may not be available in everyday foods in their required quantities.

What’s the importance of organic food?

Organic items are generally free of chemical pesticides and vermicides.

Tips to avoid over eating?

If practical, it is ideal to eat six smaller meals through the day rather than three big ones. Eat healthy snacks and concentrate on fluids to fill you up between meals.

We hope that the above information will be helpful in your daily life. If you have any more questions, please feel free to contact us at customer.service@xtend-life.com, we would like to hear from you.

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